From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, has appointed Ms Bríd O’Donovan to the interim Procurement Reform Board following a competitive recruitment process. Ms O’Donovan joins as an external member of the Board bringing 29 years of experience in financial services and change management, having most recently worked as Head of Business Services, Financial Solutions Group, in AIB.
The role of the interim Procurement Reform Board is to drive the programme of reforming public procurement across the whole of the public sector. Current priorities for the Board include the promotion of green and social procurement, encouraging SME participation in procurement competitions, and ensuring open, transparent competitions across the public service. The Board also has oversight of the operations of the Office of Government Procurement (OGP).
The Board consists of representative members from across the public service as well as three external members from outside the public service who together provide governance and oversight.
Welcoming the appointment, Minister Michael McGrath said:
“I am delighted to appoint Bríd O’Donovan to the board. She brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, corporate governance and risk management to this role.
“Strong governance is vital to procurement in the Public Sector. It ensures that the OGP and Sector Procurement teams deliver effective services, with strong performance levels, for customer Departments and Agencies as well as providing clear guidance on public procurement policy. The interim Procurement Reform Board has a key role to play in this regard and this appointment will strengthen the OGP’s ability to meet stakeholder demands and deliver on procurement reform”.
Minister of State with Responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth TD said:
“Recent events have demonstrated the crucial role that public procurement plays in ensuring that our public services have timely access to the resources they require. The Programme for Government calls for procurement to play a bigger role in delivering better social and environmental outcomes, to engage effectively with business, and to deliver value for money. A strong oversight Board is crucial to deliver these ambitions
“A critical role for the Board is to exercise strong oversight of the procurement reform programme. This includes engaging external voices who can reflect and represent the voices of enterprises who seek to do business with the State and the citizens who receive public services. I very much welcome the insight and experience that Bríd O’Donovan will bring to the Board’s important work”.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Ms O’Donovan is the most recent external member appointed to the Board. She is a Certified Bank Director, Fellow of the Institute of Certified Chartered Accountants and holds an MBA from Smurfit Business School. She is a director of Belvedere Youth Club which provides youth and outreach services in Dublin’s North East Inner City, where the OGP is also based.
Contact:
Claire Godkin - Press Officer, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - 085 806 3969